Wild Cards
by grimdreamer
Summary: A collection of entries written for the "Wild Card" contest on Nicluvly's Music Room #3: An Ouran HSHC FanFiction Contest Community.
1. Vow or Promise

**Summary:**

_Entry for__ Nicluvly's "Vow/Promise" Wild Card drabble competition._

_An innocuous visit from the twins becomes the end for Nekozawa…_

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**Last Words**

The twins got to him first, their identical faces leaning anxiously over him. Entering the Black Magic Club meeting room had simply been an accident. Bored, they had sneaked away from the Host Club in search of some quick entertainment and found themselves in front of the ill-fated door; except, from the perspective of the cloaked Nekozawa lying stunned on the carpet, it was – without question – an attempt on his life.

At the sound of the door handle turning, Nekozawa had merely glanced across the room to greet his unusual guests, hoping from the depths of his hood that they were serious applicants come to embrace a self-imposed darkness and eager to learn every twist in the trade. However, the time was midday, and the season was summer, and the sun was pouring through windows without curtains in the corridor – a fact that Nekozawa had unfortunately overlooked. Shocked, his mouth had parted with horror and the hand wearing Beelzeneff shielded his eyes.

But the door was already open, letting in a bar of pure light from the sun-bathed exterior of the corridor beyond.

Helpless, Nekozawa cringed as the uncensored radiance cut through the murk with its sickening blade, merciless in its task to reach the Dark Prince. When it finally conquered the dusty cobwebs made from cotton and the dismembered joints of countless plastic skeletons blocking its path, the light burned past layers of black linen fabric and pale naked skin as it held Nekozawa in its blinding clutches. Caught, the victim thrashed in mute and over-emphasised agony, rocking like a spider pushed onto its back. He screeched for the door to be shut, _to be closed!_

'Okay, okay,' said the twins, rolling their eyes as they obeyed the hysterical figure. After securing a candlestick, they crouched beside Nekozawa and poked him with a bone.

Amidst gasps of anguish, Nekozawa uttered, 'Murderers…'

'We're not murderers,' said one of devils peering down.

In the candlelight, the spiky style of their hair resembled the horns of demons, which Nekozawa found somewhat consoling. 'Twins,' he whispered, 'I have some last words… promise me that you'll deliver them to the Black Magic Club…'

'Go on, we're listening…'

With a trembling hand, Nekozawa reached for the tie belonging to Hikaru and pulled him close. 'Curtains… for the windows.'

Then he did the same to the tie of Kaoru and said, 'Locks… for the door.'

'Is that it?' said the twins.

'No,' Nekozawa replied. Summoning the dregs of his strength, he gave them his puppet Beelzeneff. He was barely able to speak. 'For Tamaki-kun… he would have… liked it…'

Then the President of the Black Magic Club expired, missing the wicked grins of Hikaru and Kaoru.


	2. Commoner's Coffee

**Summary: **

_Tied third place in Nicluvly's "Commoner's Coffee" drabble competition._

_Tamaki is determined to master coffee the commoner's way…_

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**Coffee: The Commoner's Way**

Tamaki strokes his chin whilst staring hard at a jar of commoner's coffee. Judging by the sweat on Tamaki's forehead and the way his hand shakes as he leans against the counter, it seems as if he is struggling to achieve what should have been a simple, straightforward task: making a cup of coffee.

Instead of asking for help (or admitting defeat), he tries to remember how the coffee was done when she first began teaching him. _Did she use a particular cup? Does she like cream or milk? And how many sugars?_ He approaches the jar, studying the ridges etched along the lid. He has already attempted to pull the lid off, but to no avail.

Maybe he should twist?

The method works, though Tamaki nearly weeps at the presence of yet another layer.

_Is commoner's coffee so precious that they have to lock it away?_

Tamaki stabs the metal with a teaspoon, only to find that the lid is made of foil. 'I knew that,' he says, and cheerfully adds the granules of coffee to a clean and empty mug. Then his violet eyes shift from the mug to the kettle and back again.

_So far, so good… now to boil the water!_

He runs the tap and fills the kettle, trying to ignore the sudden flakes of lime-scale. 'It's not disgusting, it's different,' Tamaki repeats to himself. 'Commoners can't afford filtered water.'

While the kettle is left to boil, he folds his arms and taps his foot, then picks up the coffee jar for want of something to do. _Have I done it right?_ he frets. _Will she finally be proud of me?_ He imagines how thrilled she might look at the sight of steaming coffee…

'Tamaki, what's taking you so long?' she calls from the cramped space that commoners call a "living room".

He blinks at the kettle and switches it on. 'In a minute!' he shouts back, not in the least embarrassed.

Once the kettle boils, a teaspoon of water is poured and he mixes the coffee into a paste. 'What the hell are you doing?' says a female voice near the doorway.

Tamaki jumps, shielding the mug with his body. 'Nothing! Nothing at all!'

The girl stands on her tiptoes, trying to see. 'Are you making gravy?'

'Oh, you…' Tamaki laughs, and ushers her from the kitchen. Worried, he examines the contents of her mug. 'She's just teasing me,' he reassures himself, and pours more water, stirring the mug with a twinkle. But then he opens the fridge and has a small breakdown as he looks from a carton of milk to a carton of cream.

He adds a bit of both.

_'Et voila! Parfait.'_

Tamaki enters the living room with the mug and places it with a flourish upon the table.

'Mademoiselle,' he murmurs, 'your drink is served.'

'Thanks,' says the blonde-haired girl named Mei. 'It isn't half bad for your hundredth attempt.'


End file.
